Safety device for laundry machines



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Filed Jull,r 5l, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l, .Mil hmmm www@ Patented Dec. 6, 1927.

UNITED i STATES PATENT: FFWE- winni-n.1?. PoHLMANNoF, GHIGAG'Q; InLINoIsnssmNonTo F. `W.-1ir11vrnnn &-, eo., y l -oF CHICAGO, ILLINQrs, A- coRPonnfrIoN en ILLINOIS.

f QSAFETYDEVICE Eo'nfLAUNDnY MACHINE; f

, .mutation ned Iulyl, 1925:`r s jeriai No.. 47,1197.

The resentv invention, relatesk to.` improve; ments in power drivenV laundry machinery` and has particular reference'to anew and' usefulI safety device whichvwill prevent the cover from being` opened when themachine is inoperation, andwhichwhen'the` cover is *open will prevent the'machine from being operated; y

Thegeneralobjects ofmy invention are to `provide anew 'and' improved safety' dem@ which: can be readily; applied to 'existing laundry machines, which is `simpleand ineX- pensivein construction, which utilizes'stand'- ardl partshaving;I other functions on the machinel'and which is efficient in operation'.

Further objects andi advantages will be come apparent from the following descr-ip-l tion taken in connection with the accompanying-y drawingsV wherein Figure 1 is a side elevational view of awashing; machine having my invention applied" thereto.Y n y Y Fig. 2; is a fragmentary sectionali viewA taken along line22 of Figi 1'.

Fig. Slis an end view of'y the machine. Fig; 4 is a fragmentary View' of thefmeans for locking thecover of the washing machine in position. a

Fig; 5lv is a fragmentary' sectional'view;

taken substantially' in the' planeof line v5'e-.5if offFig. 6. f y. f 6 is a" fragmentary sectional View' taken substantially in theplane of. line ofFig.3; l v Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectionaly View` taken substantially in the plane of line 7--7 of Fig. 6.

While the invention. is susceptible of various modifications and alternative construe#v tions,Illiave shown in the drawings and will herein describe in detailthe preferred embodiment thereof, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed,

' but aim in the appended claim to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirity and scope of the invention. Y

The washing machine selected for p urposes of illustration comprises a cylindrical body. 10 supported at opposite ends by frame members 11 and 12. and having an opening 13 therein near its upper forward side arranged to be closed by a sliding cover 14. The body 10 encloses a washing cylinder 15 whichis mounted' on'a shaft-16. and which is adapted to be driven through alargegean 17f onf the shaft first in one direction; and then-inthe-other.y Thefgear 17 is enclosed'V ina-suitable casingflsupported'by brackets: 19` on thefcndof. the body 10'.l i

Any suitable means may be vprovided for driving and,'reversing`- the drive ofthe shaft' 16". Preferably I employ the mechanism dis-V Rigidlyf mounted enit-he shaft 2O between the pulleys-23-v and 2i is a pulley 27 onto andl oiy ofwhich the belt'si25 and '26 are adapted tobe shifted alternatelyzby aspairfof belt Shifters: orrguides 28 and. 29,;v These guides 1 are carried by a bar' 30 mounted inv an up standing.- bracket, 31V fork .reciprocation iny ai directionparallel vtoY the axis ofthe shaftf20.

Slidable Vrelativeto thebar 30 andi depending therefromis aeplate 32 having op posedecam'surfaces 33 and 34`erranged-to'be' engaged byfa-A projection 35 on a. wormwheel. 36 suitably journ'aled'inrthe bracket? 31. The wormV wheel 36 is arranged'to be continuously drivenlfrom aaworm 37 journaled. on the shaft` 2,0'and having a clutch connection at! alltimes with-.the1pnlley 24. The .latter is constantly driven; by. the'y belt- 26 which indicated in Figure 1 is of a width such that even. when shifted onto the tight. pulley 27 it overlaps the loose pulley 24. Rotation of itl medium oil a bracket 39 and adapted to enter a notch formed in the upper end oi? the plate When the rocker member 58 is moved upwardly from the position shown in Figure 2 to disengage it from the notch 40 the power transmission is inoperative. To lock said mechanism againstoperation, the roe-ker member 3S is adapted to be swung rearwardly into engagement with a notch al formed in the upper end o't a member 42 on the bracket 31.

Means is provided tor manuallv rotating or inching the cylinder 15. This means comprises a shaft 43 extending eccentrieally through a sleeve larotatably mounted in a pair of spaced arms a5 on a bracket 46 secured to the end wall of the body 10. The forward end ot' the shaft 13 is provided with a hand wheel 47, and the rear end is provided with a Worm 48 adapted to be moved into and out ot mesh with the gear 1S upon rotation of the sleeve 114: in opposite directions. A hand lever all) rigidly mounted on one end of the sleeve 14 to provide means` for adjusting the latter. 'lhe worm la when in engagement with the gear 18 prevents power operation of the machine.

Means is provided for preventing the cover 111 from being opened while the machine is in operation, and torliireventing the machine trom being operatedivhen the cover is open. lhismeans comprises a lever arm 50 connected at one end through a link 51 to the cover 14, and mounted at its other end on a. rock shaft 52, journaled in brackets on the body l0. Rigidly secured on the right end of vthe rock shaft 5:2 an interlocking member in the form of a segmental plate 54. A lever is pivotally mounted in a bracketfi on the end of the machine, and is formed with an interlocking stop 5T adapted to be moved over the upper edge ot' the segmental plate The lower end oi the lever is formed with a slot 58 fitting.r loosely over a pin 59. The latter is mounted in the free end of a bracket (i0 rigidly secured to the eccentric sleeve il for movement therewith and extending across the rear end of the vvorm 48, and is offset with respect to the axis of rotation. When the sleeve i-1 is adjusted to move theworm 1S into engagement with the gear 18, the lower end oi? the lever 55 will be moved away from the end of thev body 10, thereby swinging the stop 57 out of the path of the segmental. plate 54 and hence permitting the cover let to be opened. The worm 48 cannot be moved out ot engagement with the gear 18 while the cover is open since the segmental plate 511 is positioned in the path ot the `stop 57. Since the `Worm aS is effectual as a lock to prevent movement of the gear 18, the ma# chine cannot be operated by power While the cover is open.

It will he evident that .l have provided an exeeiiitionally simple and inexpensive device lor ensuring satety in operating laundry machines. The device is positive 1n operation, and utilizes mechanism customarily employed for maiuially inching the cylinder 'lo when the machine is inopeative. The

salety device prevents the cover from being' opened while the machine is in operation, and prevents operation ot the lnachine While the cover is open.

l claim as my invention:

ln u machine of the character described7 in combination. a body having a closure, a movable meu'lbcr in said body, power transmission :lor said movable member, said power lransmissioii including a gear, a sleeve rotatably mounted on said body, a shaft eccentrically mounted in said sleeve and having a vvorm adapted to be moved by angular adjustment of said sleeve into and outl of engagement With said gear, a stop .member associated with said closure for movement therewith, and a second stop member eccentri ally associated with said sleeve for move..

ment into and out ol" the path of said first mentioned stop meniiber upon adjustment oitthe sleeve, said stop men'lbers being arranged to prevent said closure from being opened when said worm is out of engagement with said gear.

ln testimony whereof. l atlixed my signature.

WILLIAM l?. POHLMANN.

have hereunto 

